Ten Years On
by NightWatcher666
Summary: It's been nearly a decade since the fall of Venjix and Tenaya's implants begin to fail. The only chance for a cure is at the abandoned and forbidden Venjix palace.


**Ten Years On**

* * *

Life is hard. I know it's a common sentiment, but in my case it's hard for several reasons. When I was a child my older brother and I were raised by our grandfather, but neither of us can remember his face. When the Venjix computer virus took over the world it wiped our minds and turned us into cybernetic beings although the colloquial term is hybrid. My brother escaped… I did not.

He found his way to Corinth, to people who could help him, and he could help. I was renamed Tenaya Seven, redesigned as a weapon, and set loose to kill and destroy.

It worked out in the end. Venjix was destroyed, I was rescued, and all was right with the world. Or so it seemed.

It's been nearly ten years since we dropped the control tower on Venjix and humanity has spread beyond the dome of Corinth. We've been rebuilding even as far as Omega City, but the wastes are still not completely safe. Venjix is gone, but it didn't take long for us to realize that not all of his forces went with him. Rogue grinders and the odd attackbot appear from time to time, and the rangers are still saving people. Even after having to wipe some left over Venjix code out of Scott's morpher.

A lot of things changed in the last decade. My brother Dillon married Summer Landsdown seven years ago, and Ziggy and Doctor K have had an on and off relationship. I've been dating Scott for the last six years and although marriage has been talked about, I don't think it's going to happen. Not that don't think that he loves me, but because the alterations that were forced on me left me unable to have children, and I know he wants a family.

A lot of things haven't though. People are still traumatized and fearful of Venjix technology so most hybrids are treated like second class citizens. Many have left the dome and entered the wastes to find a place they can call home without the prejudice and persecution that follows them here. I am lucky, my brother and I are listed as heroes even though at one time I was public enemy number two. I have a job with the rangers even if I'm not on the front lines of the big fights I help where I can and I run security at the Ranger Operations center.

Now, here's the problem. With the Venjix virus purged from my body the implants are slowly breaking down. Dr. K does her best to maintain them, but the truth is the only thing that can maintain them is the Venjix virus. The biggest problem is my eyes. They're prosthetic and they are slowly failing. I get glitches and occasional blackouts, but there is something that can save them. The maintenance systems in the Venjix palace, but it is forbidden for anyone to step foot there. It would have been blown off the map, but not even the zords could put a dent in its walls.

This whole mess started around the time Gemma left with a red ranger from another dimension to aid against some bad guy named Lord Draven. Right after the portal closed my vision went black. I did what I always do when that happens and lightly tap my forehead until the kicked back in, but this time it didn't. After when felt like hours but was probably only a minute or two I did the only thing I could think of, "Doctor K!" I shouted at the top on my lungs. "What is it?" I could hear her light, airy, and possibly irritated voice call as she made her way over to me.

"I can't see," I practically shouted as I thrust my arms out and started feeling around me. I'm sure I looked ridiculous, but it had been a long time since I was blind and I was no longer used to the sensation. I felt small delicate hand wrap around my forearm, "Come on," Dr. K said as she started leading me away, "We'll run a few scans."

It was an odd feeling, walking and turning without being able to see, but we made our way into what I assume was her lab. She sat me on one of her tables and began running her tests. "Do you see any light at all?" she asked as I felt her move in front of me. "None I replied, "It's like looking at a screen that's been turned off."

I heard some more rummaging and then felt the tip of something at my neck, "I'm going to give you a mild sedative. Trust me I don't think you want to be awake for what comes next." A needle quickly pricked my neck and the sounds of the world began to fade.

* * *

Slowly the sounds out the world around me began to infiltrate the darkness filling my head and I opened my eyes. The world was there, I could see. Slowly I sat up and observed the doctor typing furiously at her computer, "I have no idea what you did Doc, but thanks."

"The dimensional portal overloaded your weakened optical systems, and the fiber optics used to relay data were damaged. I bypassed and replaced as much of the damaged fiber as I could, but the degradation is accelerating. Your eyes will fail completely in a matter of days."

I never knew what it felt like to have a rock in your stomach until that moment. I was going to go blind and the Doc couldn't fix it. "There's no way you can repair it or slow it down?" I asked with panic creeping into my voice."

"Of course there is a way," she spat with spite in her voice, "We're going to talk to the Colonel."

* * *

It's not that I don't like the Colonel, but he is intimidating and I spent the entire elevator ride dreading the look on his face when we brought up our request. He sat there with his large dark hands folded on his desk. "Doctor K, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

All five foot five of Doctor K stood straight as she looked the man in the eye, "I want access to the Venjix palace." Colonel Truman's back went rigid, "What for?" he asked with irritation in his voice. I got the impression that this was not the first time this conversation had been had.

Doctor K sighed, "The hybrids. Their cybernetic implants are breaking down and unless we do something you will have a lot of newly disabled people reliant on the charity of people who already distrust them." The colonel rose from his chair and walked over to the window to stare out upon the city, "I understand and I sympathize, but the answer is no."

"Colonel," I tried to add, but he raised his hand.

"That technology is too dangerous. Imagine if something went wrong and we had the second coming of Venjix. I won't allow it, ever."

Without another word Doctor K stamped out of the office with me hurrying to catch up.

* * *

We walked back to the garage without a word spoken between us. I knew she was angry, and I knew why. She felt guilty. She had stated on numerous occasions that the whole apocalypse was her fault, and all the damage to the world and it's people could be laid squarely at her feet. She has dedicated her life to protecting people and trying to make up for the damage she cause, and a simply rule was standing in the way.

We made our way back to the garage where the rangers still liked to hang out even though the main ops had moved across the street and of course found my boyfriend and my brother shooting a game of pool.

"Tenaya," Scott said with a smile, "What have you been up to?"

I wanted to lie, and tell him everything was fine, and that K and I just went for a walk, but I couldn't do it. "My eyes failed. Doctor K and I went to see the colonel about authorizing a trip to the Venjix palace." Scott looked sincerely saddened, "And he said no, didn't he?" I looked at him trying to memorize every line and contour of his face, "The answer is no," I said and audible heard a crack in my voice as tears threatened to fall.

Doctor K dropped a box in front of me and you can imagine my surprise to fine something similar to my old Venjix armor and robotic hand sporting a new blaster. "I was saving these for your birthday, but now seems to be more important. The armor is a nano-polymer similar to the ranger operator armor, and the blaster is capable of channeling the bio-field. The answer may have been no, but we are going anyway."

At that I heard everyone around me gasp in shock.

* * *

A/N: This is a short story and will only be between three and five chapters long. I will update as often as possible. Please Read and review.


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